Smart device management via a mobile communication device based on privacy preferences

ABSTRACT

A method of providing a user interface on a mobile communication device to control smart devices in an environment. The method comprises discovering a plurality of smart devices in an environment by a client application executing on a mobile communication device by initiating wireless communication between the mobile communication device and the plurality of smart devices, wherein the client application learns an electronic model identity of each of the discovered smart devices, communicating with a data store by the client application to look-up control interfaces of the discovered smart devices based on the electronic model identities of the smart devices, looking-up predefined environmental preferences associated with the mobile communication device in the data store by the client application, transmitting control commands by the client application to the plurality of smart devices based in part on the looked-up predefined environmental preferences.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

People travel through many different environments. They may be in a homeenvironment, in a work environment, in an airport boarding area, in ahotel room, and other environments. A person may interact with each ofthese different environments to use facilities in these environments—tooperate the lights, to operate the television, to set temperaturecontrols. Different environments may have different control interfacesand different control features.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a method of providing a user interface on a mobilecommunication device to control smart devices in an environment isdisclosed. The method comprises discovering a plurality of smart devicesin an environment by a client application executing on a mobilecommunication device by initiating wireless communication between themobile communication device and the plurality of smart devices, whereinthe client application learns an electronic model identity of each ofthe discovered smart devices and communicating with a data store by theclient application to look-up control interfaces of the discovered smartdevices based on the electronic model identities of the smart devices.The method further comprises looking-up predefined environmentalpreferences associated with the mobile communication device in the datastore by the client application, transmitting control commands by theclient application to the plurality of smart devices based in part onthe looked-up predefined environmental preferences, and receiving amessage by the client application from at least one of the plurality ofsmart devices requesting definition of an undefined environmentalpreference. The method further comprises presenting a dialog box by theclient application on the mobile communication device, where the dialogbox prompts a user to input a preference for the undefined environmentalpreference, receiving an input defining the undefined environmentalpreference, transmitting the input defining the undefined environmentalpreference by the client application to the at least one of theplurality of smart devices, and transmitting the input defining theundefined environmental preference by the client application to the datastore, wherein the predefined environmental preferences associated withthe mobile communication device stored in the data store are extended.

In another embodiment, a method of adapting an environment by sharingenvironmental preferences with smart devices in the environment based onprivacy preferences is disclosed. The method comprises discovering afirst plurality of smart devices in a first environment by a clientapplication executing on a mobile communication device by initiatingwireless communication between the mobile communication device and thefirst plurality of smart devices, wherein the client application learnsan electronic model identity of each of the discovered first pluralityof smart devices and determining by the client application a firstsecurity category of the first environment. The method further comprisescommunicating with a data store by the client application to look-upcontrol interfaces of the discovered first plurality of smart devicesbased on the electronic model identities of the first plurality of smartdevices, looking-up a first plurality of predefined environmentalpreferences associated with the mobile communication device in the datastore by the client application based on the identities of the firstplurality of smart devices and based on the first security category, andtransmitting control commands by the client application to the firstplurality of smart devices based on the first plurality of predefinedenvironmental preferences. The method further comprises discovering asecond plurality of smart devices in a second environment by the clientapplication by initiating wireless communication between the mobilecommunication device and the second plurality of smart devices, whereinthe client application learns an electronic model identity of each ofthe discovered second plurality of smart devices and determining by theclient application a second security category of the second environment,wherein the second security category is different from the firstsecurity category. The method further comprises communicating with thedata store by the client application to look-up control interfaces ofthe discovered second plurality of smart devices based on the electronicmodel identities of the second plurality of smart devices, looking-up asecond plurality of predefined environmental preferences associated withthe mobile communication device in the data store by the clientapplication based on the identifies of the second plurality of smartdevices and based on the second security category, wherein the secondplurality of predefined environmental preferences are restricted becausethe second security category is less private than the first securitycategory, and transmitting control commands by the client application tothe second plurality of smart devices based on the second plurality ofpredefined environmental preferences.

In yet another embodiment, a method of adapting a user interface on amobile communication device based on different environments isdisclosed. The method comprises determining by a client applicationexecuting on a mobile communication device that the mobile communicationdevice is in a first environment based on identities of a firstplurality of smart electronic devices in wireless communication with themobile communication device while in the first environment, selecting afirst plurality of application icons by the client application based onpredefined preferences associated with the first environment, andcausing the mobile communication device to present the selected firstplurality of application icons on a home screen of a display of themobile communication device. The method further comprises determining bythe client application that the mobile communication device is in asecond environment based on identities of a second plurality of smartelectronic devices in wireless communication with the mobilecommunication device while in the second environment, selecting a secondplurality of application icons by the client application based onpredefined preferences associated with the second environment, whereinat least one of the second plurality of application icons is notincluded in the first plurality of application icons, and causing themobile communication device to present the selected second plurality ofapplication icons on a home screen of a display of the mobilecommunication device, wherein the user interface of the mobilecommunication device is adapted based on the change from the firstenvironment to the second environment.

These and other features will be more clearly understood from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, referenceis now made to the following brief description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein likereference numerals represent like parts.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a mobile communication device located intwo different environments at two different times according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are a flow chart of a method according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are a flow chart of another method according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of yet another method according to an embodimentof the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a handset according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a hardware architecture according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8A is a block diagram of a software architecture according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a block diagram of another software architecture according toan embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a computer system according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood at the outset that although illustrativeimplementations of one or more embodiments are illustrated below, thedisclosed systems and methods may be implemented using any number oftechniques, whether currently known or not yet in existence. Thedisclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrativeimplementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, but may bemodified within the scope of the appended claims along with their fullscope of equivalents.

Increasingly we encounter new technology as we pass through differentenvironments. When we travel we may encounter smart control devices inour hotel room with a WiFi or Bluetooth interface that we can accessfrom our mobile communication devices to operate features in theenvironment, for example turn lights off and on and control the roomtemperature. If we have preferred control signals we program for a firstenvironment we may wish to be able to use these control signals in asecond environment. Different smart control devices, however, may havedifferent interfaces and different control mechanisms. The presentdisclosure teaches a client application that executes on a mobilecommunication device that discovers smart control devices inenvironments we enter and programs them with our predefined preferences.

Where new configuration settings are encountered for the first time, forexample when first interacting with a new kind of smart control, theclient application may pop-up a dialog box on the display of our mobilecommunication device and leads us through the process of defining andsharing our preferences with reference to the new smart control. Theclient application captures the newly defined preference and sends amessage back to a data store that indicates the identity of the smartcontrol (e.g., a make and model), information about an applicationprogramming interface (API) of the smart control, a location where thesmart control is installed, and the newly defined preference associatedwith the specific user. The newly defined preference is added to aprofile storing other control preferences of the user in the data storeand/or on the mobile communication device.

The information about the smart control make and model, the informationabout the API of the smart control, and the location of the smartcontrol may be stored by the data store for use by other clientapplications on other mobile communication devices. For example, theclient application of another mobile communication device associatedwith a different user who is scheduled to check-in to the same hotelthat has the new smart control may ask the user his or her preferencefor the smart control in advance of their check-in at the hotel. Forexample, the client application of another mobile communication deviceassociated with a different user who is in an environment that featuresa smart control having the same make and model encountered by the firstmobile communication device. The preference of the first user forcommanding the smart control may be made a default value by the datastore, such that when different users encounter the smart control theyare able to start with the control configuration of the first user as adefault preference value. As additional users express preferences forinteracting with the same make and model of control, an applicationexecuting on a server computer in a wireless communication serviceprovider network may determine an average or common user preference forcontrolling the same make and model of smart control and make thiscommon preference a default value for the interaction preference. In anembodiment, the application may prompt other users via the clientapplication executing on their mobile devices to define their preferencefor interacting with the subject smart control, offering the most commonuser defined preference as an initial default value for that user. Whenthe user provides their preference or accepts the default value, thismay be stored into the preference of the user. In this way, as new smartcontrols are first introduced, the effort of defining user preferencesfor this new smart control may be eased and made more convenient (e.g.,the user can select the default or is presented with a list of possiblealternative interaction values).

In an embodiment, the client application can identify an environmentbased on the identities of the smart devices located in thatenvironment. For example, the client application may be able to identifya work environment, a hotel environment, an own home environment, afriend's home environment, and a restaurant environment based onidentities of specific smart controls in those environments. Afteridentifying the environments, the client application may command themobile communication device to adapt a user interface to be suitable foruse in the present environment. For example, the application icons maybe moved from a secondary screen to a home screen of the mobile devicewhen entering the work environment. For instance, the application iconson a third screen may be moved to the home screen when entering thefriend's home environment.

In an embodiment, when the mobile communication device is in differentenvironments, the client application may share different preferenceswith the environment, for example with smart devices in the environment.In some cases, the client application may prevent disclosing somepreferences in environments deemed by the user to be public environmentswhile the client application may disclose those same preferences inenvironments deemed by the user to be private environments. For example,the user of the mobile communication device may configure the clientapplication to associate an airport boarding area, a hotel lobby, amuseum, and a restaurant as public security category environments and toassociate a hotel room, a friend's home, and work as private securitycategory environments.

An interface in the client application that executes on the mobilecommunication device allows it to interact with the data store and theserver application, for example an API extended by the data store and/orthe server application. The client application may both request todownload a copy of the user's profile from the data store and/or theserver application and update the user's profile as new controls areexperienced and interaction preferences defined. Likewise, the API maypromote pushing information to client applications on other mobilecommunication devices, for example pushing out a default interactionpreference for a new control and/or pushing out a query to the user todefine a preference for interacting with the control.

The server application can protect the identity of specific users andshare the information gleaned from one or more users (e.g., in definingdefault values for control interaction preferences) without in anywayproviding a way for entities outside the service provider's system forlinking specific users to specific preferences, thereby maintainingthese preferences confidential and secure. The server application canseparate information such as location and/or names of hotels from theinformation that is shared with other devices, such as default controlinteraction preferences, thereby maintaining locations confidential. Theserver application may selectively prompt users to define controlinteraction preferences for users who it determines travel frequently tohotels that feature smart control devices, without in any way revealingthis information about those users. This solution promotes integrationof new smart control interfaces into profiles and ease of userinteraction with evolving smart control environments while maintainingthe privacy of users.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a communication system 100 is described. In anembodiment, the system 100 comprises a mobile communication device (userequipment—UE) 102 comprising a display 104, a client application, andone or more radio transceivers 108. The system 100 comprises a cell site110 that may provide a wireless communication link to the UE 102 andcommunicatively couple the UE 102 to a network 112. The cell site 110may provide a wireless link to the UE 102 according to a 5G, a long termevolution (LTE), a code division multiple access (CDMA), and/or a globalsystem for mobile communications (GSM) telecommunication protocol. Thenetwork 112 comprises one or more public networks, one or more privatenetworks, or a combination thereof. The system 100 comprises one or moresmart devices 114, for example smart controls. The system 100 comprisesa server computer 120, a server application 122 executing on the server120, and a data store 124. Computers are discussed further herein after.

The UE 102 may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a wearable computer, a headset computer, a laptopcomputer, a notebook computer, or a tablet computer. The smart device114 may be an electronic and/or electromechanical device thatincorporates a processor and a wireless transceiver able to communicatewirelessly with one of the transceivers 108 of the UE 102, for example asmart light switch, a smart temperature controller, a smart thermostat,a smart door lock. The smart device 114 may be a flat screen television,a gaming system, or an electronic assistant that incorporates aprocessor and a wireless transceiver able to communicate wirelessly withone of the transceivers 108 of the UE 102. One or more of the smartdevices 114 may be referred to as smart controls in some contextsherein.

The UE 102 and the smart devices 114 may be located in an environment116, for example a hotel room, a hotel lobby, a work office, a personalresidence, a friend's residence, a boarding area at an airport, arestaurant, a sports venue, or other venue. While a single UE 102, asingle cell site 110, and a single environment 116 are depicted in FIG.1, it is understood that the system 100 comprises many UEs 102, manycell sites 110, and many environments 110.

In an embodiment, the client application 106 provides a variety offunctions for discovering smart devices 114, identifying the environment116, and providing user preferences to the smart devices 114. The clientapplication 106 may communicate with a smart device 114 via one of thetransceivers 108. The client application 106 may communicate with afirst smart device 114 via a first transceiver 108 and communicate witha second smart device 114 via a second transceiver 108. The clientapplication 106 may learn the capabilities and/or applicationprogramming interface (API) provided by the smart devices 114 through aprocess of discovery.

The client application 106 may provide a profile of preferences definedby a user of the UE 102 to the smart devices 114. For example, theprofile may identify an initial hotel room temperature preference of theuser. For example, a first user may prefer an initial temperature of 60degrees to 65 degrees, while a second user may prefer an initialtemperature of 75 degrees to 80 degrees. The profile may identify anumber of extra towels wanted for a hotel room, and an electronicassistant in the room may act on this item of profile information byinforming the front desk of the hotel to send up extra towels. Theprofile may identify a set of verbal commands for operating smartcontrols in the environment 116. For example, the verbal commands maycomprise a specific verbal signature of the user and be distinct fromthe verbal signature of a different person. The profile may identify apreferred language or preferred accent or dialect. For example, a Frenchspeaking traveler may prefer to interact with the electronic assistantin the room in his or her native French. For example, an Australiantraveler may prefer to interact with the electronic assistant in theroom in an Australian accented form of English; a British traveler mayprefer to interact with the electronic assistant in the room in aBritish accented form of English. The profile may identify a preferredwake-up time that the electronic assistant may use to prompt thetraveler to wake up, for example by playing audio in a hotel room.

The profile of the user of the UE 102 (and the profiles of other usersof other UEs 102) may be stored in the data store 124, and the clientapplication 106 may request the profile or portions of the profile whenfirst entering an environment 116 and first discovering the smartdevices 114 of the environment. Alternatively, the profile may be storedlocally in the UE 102 but be copied in the data store 124 both as abackup to the local copy and for use by the server application 122 asdescribed further hereinafter.

One or more of the smart devices 114 may provide an API related to a yetundefined preference of the user. In this case, the client application106 may pop-up a dialog box on the display 104 prompting the user todefine his or her preference on the subject. The dialog box may providethe user with a “don't care” input selection. The dialog box may providethe user with a “not now” input selection, whereby the user indicatesthey do not wish to be bothered with defining preferences at that time.The dialog box may provide a series of alternative preferenceselections. When a user inputs a new preference, the client application106 may store the new preference in the locally stored profile and copythe new preference back to the data store 124.

The client application 106 may provide information back to the serverapplication 122 and/or to the data store 124 about the API of one ormore of the smart devices 114. If the API offers methods and parametersthat the client application 106 is unfamiliar with, it may be valuableto share this new information back to the server application 122, andthe server application 122 may share this new information among otherUEs 102. For example, the server application 122 may inform other UEs102 of the new API methods and/or parameters, so the client applications106 on these other UEs 102 may be more prepared to interact with similarsmart devices 114 that they may encounter in the future.

The client application 106 may transmit information about an unfamiliarAPI of a smart device 114 in a message that further comprisesinformation about a make and model of the smart device 114. The serverapplication 122 may store this API information in the data store 124associated with or indexed by the make and model of the smart device114. When a client application 106 on another UE 102 discovers anunfamiliar smart device 114, it may request information on the API ofthe subject smart device 114 from the server application 122. The serverapplication 122 may use the identity of the make and model of the smartdevice 114 to look up the API stored in the data store 124 and thenreturn this API information to the requesting client application 106.The client application 106 may then communicate with the smart device114 based on the API information. This boot strapping of the clientapplication 106 to obtain the API of the smart device 114 may beconsidered to be part of the discovery activity. When no API for a smartdevice 114 is stored in the data store 124, the client application 106may conduct a more time consuming learning dialog with the smart device114 to learn the particulars of its API. Thus, sharing the informationof a new API back to the server application 122 and to the data store124 can significantly improve the operating efficiency of other UEs 102which may thereby obviate the time consuming learning dialog by simplyrequesting the server application 122 to look-up and to share thepreviously stored API.

In an embodiment, the user of the UE 102 may wish that his or herprofile not be shared in all environments 116 or may wish to share arestricted portion of the profile in some environments 116. The clientapplication 106 may be configured to associate different environments116 to different environment security categories. For example, theclient application 106 may segregate environments 116 into privateenvironments and public environments. Alternatively, the clientapplication 106 may segregate environments 116 into privateenvironments, exclusive environments, and public environments, whereexclusive environments are intermediate in their security. The user mayconfigure the client application 106 to associate hotel rooms, privatework offices, personal residence, and residences of friends as privateenvironments; to associate hotel lobbies, office building lobbies, andschools as exclusive environments; and to associate government offices,airport boarding areas, and restaurants as public environments. The usermay further configure the client application 106 by defining whatprofile parameters to share in each of these different environmentsecurity categories.

In an embodiment, the client application 106 may identify an environment116 by the identities of the smart devices 114 located in theenvironment 116. It may be the case that a user repeatedly enters thesame environments. The user may enter a same work environment 116 fivedays per week. The user may enter the same personal residenceenvironment 116 repeatedly. The user may enter the same airport boardingarea environment 116 repeatedly. In this case, the client application106 can identify the specific environment 116. The user can configurethe client application 106 to associate a given environment with one ofthe environment security categories. Alternatively, the clientapplication 106 may infer the environment security categories based onthe smart devices 114 identified in the environment 116 and based on aphysical location of the UE 102. In an embodiment, one or more smartdevice 114 in the environment 116 may inform the client application 106what the environment security category is of the environment 116.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a UE 102 moving from a first environment 116 a toa second environment 116 b is described. In the first environment 116 a,the UE 102 presents a first set of application icons 130 on a homescreen of the display 104. When the UE 102 moves from the firstenvironment 116 a to the second environment 116 b, the UE 102 presents asecond set of application icons 132 on a home screen of the display 104.The client application 106 is able to identify an environment 116 andadapt the user interface of the UE 102 by causing a selected pluralityof application icons to be presented on the home screen of the display104 based on the environment 116 the UE 102 is currently in. The clientapplication 106 determines that it is in the first environment 116 abased on detecting the presence of smart devices 114 a that itassociates with the first environment 116 a; and the client application106 determines that it is in the second environment 116 b based ondetecting the presence of smart devices 114 b that it associates withthe second environment 116 b.

The user of the UE 102 may interact with different applications whilelocated in different environments. For example, the user may interactwith a calendar application and email application on the UE 102 while inhis or her work office environment 116 and interact with a gamingapplication and a social networking application on the UE 102 while inhis or her personal residence environment 116. In an embodiment, theuser of the UE 102 may invoke a function of the client application 106that promotes defining a distribution of application icons 130 to a homescreen, a second screen, and/or a third screen of the display 104 in thefirst environment 116 a and a distinct distribution of application icons132 to the home screen, the second screen, and/or the third screen ofthe display 104 in the second environment 116 b. By adapting placementof application icons on screens of the UE 102, the client application106 may improve the user experience of the UE 102.

Turning now to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, a method 200 is described. In anembodiment, the method 200 is a method of providing a user interface ona mobile communication device to control smart devices in anenvironment. At block 202, the method 200 comprises discovering aplurality of smart devices in an environment by a client applicationexecuting on a mobile communication device by initiating wirelesscommunication between the mobile communication device and the pluralityof smart devices, wherein the client application learns an electronicmodel identity of each of the discovered smart devices. The mobilecommunication device may communicate with the smart devices using awireless communication link, for example a WiFi communication link, aBluetooth communication link, a near-field communication link, oranother wireless communication link.

At block 204, the method 200 comprises communicating with a data storeby the client application to look-up control interfaces of thediscovered smart devices based on the electronic model identities of thesmart devices. Looking-up control interfaces may comprise obtaininginformation about application programming interfaces (APIs) of the smartdevices. At block 206, the method 200 comprises looking-up predefinedenvironmental preferences associated with the mobile communicationdevice in the data store by the client application. At block 208, themethod 200 comprises transmitting control commands by the clientapplication to the plurality of smart devices based in part on thelooked-up predefined environmental preferences. The client applicationmay further transmit some of the predefined environmental preferences toone or more of the smart devices. For example, the client applicationmay transmit a language preference and/or an accent or dialectpreference to a smart device. The client application may transmit a roomtemperature control preference to a smart device. The client applicationmay transmit a wake-up time preference to a smart device, for example toan electronic assistant in the environment.

At block 210, the method 200 comprises receiving a message by the clientapplication from at least one of the plurality of smart devicesrequesting definition of an undefined environmental preference. In anembodiment, the smart device may further transmit information about anAPI of the smart device to the client application. At block 212, themethod 200 comprises presenting a dialog box by the client applicationon the mobile communication device, where the dialog box prompts a userto input a preference for the undefined environmental preference. Atblock 214, the method 200 comprises receiving an input defining theundefined environmental preference.

At block 216, the method 200 comprises transmitting the input definingthe undefined environmental preference by the client application to atleast one of the plurality of smart devices. At block 218, the method200 comprises transmitting the input defining the undefinedenvironmental preference by the client application to the data store,wherein the predefined environmental preferences associated with themobile communication device stored in the data store are extended. In anembodiment, the client application may further transmit informationabout the API of the smart device to the data store, for example wherethe transmitted information is associated to a make and model for thesmart device.

Turning now to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, a method 230 is described. In anembodiment, the method 230 is a method of adapting an environment bysharing environmental preferences with smart devices in the environmentbased on privacy preferences. At block 232, the method 230 comprisesdiscovering a first plurality of smart devices in a first environment bya client application executing on a mobile communication device byinitiating wireless communication between the mobile communicationdevice and the first plurality of smart devices, wherein the clientapplication learns an electronic model identity of each of thediscovered first plurality of smart devices.

At block 234, the method 230 comprises determining by the clientapplication a first security category of the first environment. Theclient application may determine the first security category based onthe types of the smart devices present in the first environment. Theclient application may determine the first security category based onhaving previously discovered the specific smart devices in the firstenvironment and having had a user of the mobile communication deviceexplicitly provide an input creating the association of the identitiesof the specific smart devices and the first security category. At block236, the method 230 comprises communicating with a data store by theclient application to look-up control interfaces of the discovered firstplurality of smart devices based on the electronic model identities ofthe first plurality of smart devices.

At block 238, the method 230 comprises looking-up a first plurality ofpredefined environmental preferences associated with the mobilecommunication device in the data store by the client application basedon the identities of the first plurality of smart devices and based onthe first security category. At block 240, the method 230 comprisestransmitting control commands by the client application to the firstplurality of smart devices based on the first plurality of predefinedenvironmental preferences.

At block 242, the method 230 comprises discovering a second plurality ofsmart devices in a second environment by the client application byinitiating wireless communication between the mobile communicationdevice and the second plurality of smart devices, wherein the clientapplication learns an electronic model identity of each of thediscovered second plurality of smart devices. At block 244, the method230 comprises determining by the client application a second securitycategory of the second environment, wherein the second security categoryis different from the first security category.

At block 246, the method 230 comprises communicating with the data storeby the client application to look-up control interfaces of thediscovered second plurality of smart devices based on the electronicmodel identities of the second plurality of smart devices. At block 248,the method 230 comprises looking-up a second plurality of predefinedenvironmental preferences associated with the mobile communicationdevice in the data store by the client application based on theidentifies of the second plurality of smart devices and based on thesecond security category, wherein the second plurality of predefinedenvironmental preferences are restricted because the second securitycategory is less secure than the first security category. At block 250,the method 230 comprises transmitting control commands by the clientapplication to the second plurality of smart devices based on the secondplurality of predefined environmental preferences.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a method 260 is described. In an embodiment, themethod 260 is a method of adapting a user interface on a mobilecommunication device based on different environments. At block 262, themethod 260 comprises determining by a client application executing on amobile communication device that the mobile communication device is in afirst environment based on identities of a first plurality of smartelectronic devices in wireless communication with the mobilecommunication device while in the first environment.

At block 264, the method 260 comprises selecting a first plurality ofapplication icons by the client application based on predefinedpreferences associated with the first environment. At block 266, themethod 260 comprises causing the mobile communication device to presentthe selected first plurality of application icons on a home screen of adisplay of the mobile communication device.

At block 268, the method 260 comprises determining by the clientapplication that the mobile communication device is in a secondenvironment based on identities of a second plurality of smartelectronic devices in wireless communication with the mobilecommunication device while in the second environment. At block 270, themethod 260 comprises selecting a second plurality of application iconsby the client application based on predefined preferences associatedwith the second environment, wherein at least one of the secondplurality of application icons is not included in the first plurality ofapplication icons. At block 272, the method 260 comprises causing themobile communication device to present the selected second plurality ofapplication icons on a home screen of a display of the mobilecommunication device, wherein the user interface of the mobilecommunication device is adapted based on the change from the firstenvironment to the second environment.

FIG. 6 depicts the user equipment (UE) 400, which is operable forimplementing aspects of the present disclosure, but the presentdisclosure should not be limited to these implementations. Thoughillustrated as a mobile phone, the UE 400 may take various formsincluding a wireless handset, a pager, a personal digital assistant(PDA), a gaming device, or a media player. The UE 400 includes atouchscreen display 402 having a touch-sensitive surface for input by auser. A small number of application icons 404 are illustrated within thetouch screen display 402. It is understood that in differentembodiments, any number of application icons 404 may be presented in thetouch screen display 402. In some embodiments of the UE 400, a user maybe able to download and install additional applications on the UE 400,and an icon associated with such downloaded and installed applicationsmay be added to the touch screen display 402 or to an alternativescreen. The UE 400 may have other components such as electro-mechanicalswitches, speakers, camera lenses, microphones, input and/or outputconnectors, and other components as are well known in the art. The UE400 may present options for the user to select, controls for the user toactuate, and/or cursors or other indicators for the user to direct. TheUE 400 may further accept data entry from the user, including numbers todial or various parameter values for configuring the operation of thehandset. The UE 400 may further execute one or more software or firmwareapplications in response to user commands. These applications mayconfigure the UE 400 to perform various customized functions in responseto user interaction. Additionally, the UE 400 may be programmed and/orconfigured over-the-air, for example from a wireless base station, awireless access point, or a peer UE 400. The UE 400 may execute a webbrowser application which enables the touch screen display 402 to show aweb page. The web page may be obtained via wireless communications witha base transceiver station, a wireless network access node, a peer UE400 or any other wireless communication network or system.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of the UE 400. While a variety of knowncomponents of handsets are depicted, in an embodiment a subset of thelisted components and/or additional components not listed may beincluded in the UE 400. The UE 400 includes a digital signal processor(DSP) 502 and a memory 504. As shown, the UE 400 may further include anantenna and front end unit 506, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver 508,a baseband processing unit 510, a microphone 512, an earpiece speaker514, a headset port 516, an input/output interface 518, a removablememory card 520, a universal serial bus (USB) port 522, an infrared port524, a vibrator 526, one or more electro-mechanical switches 528, atouch screen liquid crystal display (LCD) with a touch screen display530, a touch screen/LCD controller 532, a camera 534, a cameracontroller 536, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 538. Inan embodiment, the UE 400 may include another kind of display that doesnot provide a touch sensitive screen. In an embodiment, the UE 400 mayinclude both the touch screen display 530 and additional displaycomponent that does not provide a touch sensitive screen. In anembodiment, the DSP 502 may communicate directly with the memory 504without passing through the input/output interface 518. Additionally, inan embodiment, the UE 400 may comprise other peripheral devices thatprovide other functionality.

The DSP 502 or some other form of controller or central processing unitoperates to control the various components of the UE 400 in accordancewith embedded software or firmware stored in memory 504 or stored inmemory contained within the DSP 502 itself. In addition to the embeddedsoftware or firmware, the DSP 502 may execute other applications storedin the memory 504 or made available via information carrier media suchas portable data storage media like the removable memory card 520 or viawired or wireless network communications. The application software maycomprise a compiled set of machine-readable instructions that configurethe DSP 502 to provide the desired functionality, or the applicationsoftware may be high-level software instructions to be processed by aninterpreter or compiler to indirectly configure the DSP 502.

The DSP 502 may communicate with a wireless network via the analogbaseband processing unit 510. In some embodiments, the communication mayprovide Internet connectivity, enabling a user to gain access to contenton the Internet and to send and receive e-mail or text messages. Theinput/output interface 518 interconnects the DSP 502 and variousmemories and interfaces. The memory 504 and the removable memory card520 may provide software and data to configure the operation of the DSP502. Among the interfaces may be the USB port 522 and the infrared port524. The USB port 522 may enable the UE 400 to function as a peripheraldevice to exchange information with a personal computer or othercomputer system. The infrared port 524 and other optional ports such asa Bluetooth® interface or an IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless interfacemay enable the UE 400 to communicate wirelessly with other nearbyhandsets and/or wireless base stations. In an embodiment, the UE 400 maycomprise a near field communication (NFC) transceiver. The NFCtransceiver may be used to complete payment transactions withpoint-of-sale terminals or other communications exchanges. In anembodiment, the UE 400 may comprise a radio frequency identify (RFID)reader and/or writer device.

The switches 528 may couple to the DSP 502 via the input/outputinterface 518 to provide one mechanism for the user to provide input tothe UE 400. Alternatively, one or more of the switches 528 may becoupled to a motherboard of the UE 400 and/or to components of the UE400 via a different path (e.g., not via the input/output interface 518),for example coupled to a power control circuit (power button) of the UE400. The touch screen display 530 is another input mechanism, whichfurther displays text and/or graphics to the user. The touch screen LCDcontroller 532 couples the DSP 502 to the touch screen display 530. TheGPS receiver 538 is coupled to the DSP 502 to decode global positioningsystem signals, thereby enabling the UE 400 to determine its position.

FIG. 8A illustrates a software environment 602 that may be implementedby the DSP 502. The DSP 502 executes operating system software 604 thatprovides a platform from which the rest of the software operates. Theoperating system software 604 may provide a variety of drivers for thehandset hardware with standardized interfaces that are accessible toapplication software. The operating system software 604 may be coupledto and interact with application management services (AMS) 606 thattransfer control between applications running on the UE 400. Also shownin FIG. 8A are a web browser application 608, a media player application610, JAVA applets 612, and the client application 106. The web browserapplication 608 may be executed by the UE 400 to browse content and/orthe Internet, for example when the UE 400 is coupled to a network via awireless link. The web browser application 608 may permit a user toenter information into forms and select links to retrieve and view webpages. The media player application 610 may be executed by the UE 400 toplay audio or audiovisual media. The JAVA applets 612 may be executed bythe UE 400 to provide a variety of functionality including games,utilities, and other functionality.

FIG. 8B illustrates an alternative software environment 620 that may beimplemented by the DSP 502. The DSP 502 executes operating system kernel(OS kernel) 628 and an execution runtime 630. The DSP 502 executesapplications 622 that may execute in the execution runtime 630 and mayrely upon services provided by the application framework 624.Applications 622 and the application framework 624 may rely uponfunctionality provided via the libraries 626.

FIG. 9 illustrates a computer system 380 suitable for implementing oneor more embodiments disclosed herein. The computer system 380 includes aprocessor 382 (which may be referred to as a central processor unit orCPU) that is in communication with memory devices including secondarystorage 384, read only memory (ROM) 386, random access memory (RAM) 388,input/output (I/O) devices 390, and network connectivity devices 392.The processor 382 may be implemented as one or more CPU chips.

It is understood that by programming and/or loading executableinstructions onto the computer system 380, at least one of the CPU 382,the RAM 388, and the ROM 386 are changed, transforming the computersystem 380 in part into a particular machine or apparatus having thenovel functionality taught by the present disclosure. It is fundamentalto the electrical engineering and software engineering arts thatfunctionality that can be implemented by loading executable softwareinto a computer can be converted to a hardware implementation bywell-known design rules. Decisions between implementing a concept insoftware versus hardware typically hinge on considerations of stabilityof the design and numbers of units to be produced rather than any issuesinvolved in translating from the software domain to the hardware domain.Generally, a design that is still subject to frequent change may bepreferred to be implemented in software, because re-spinning a hardwareimplementation is more expensive than re-spinning a software design.Generally, a design that is stable that will be produced in large volumemay be preferred to be implemented in hardware, for example in anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), because for largeproduction runs the hardware implementation may be less expensive thanthe software implementation. Often a design may be developed and testedin a software form and later transformed, by well-known design rules, toan equivalent hardware implementation in an application specificintegrated circuit that hardwires the instructions of the software. Inthe same manner as a machine controlled by a new ASIC is a particularmachine or apparatus, likewise a computer that has been programmedand/or loaded with executable instructions may be viewed as a particularmachine or apparatus.

Additionally, after the system 380 is turned on or booted, the CPU 382may execute a computer program or application. For example, the CPU 382may execute software or firmware stored in the ROM 386 or stored in theRAM 388. In some cases, on boot and/or when the application isinitiated, the CPU 382 may copy the application or portions of theapplication from the secondary storage 384 to the RAM 388 or to memoryspace within the CPU 382 itself, and the CPU 382 may then executeinstructions that the application is comprised of. In some cases, theCPU 382 may copy the application or portions of the application frommemory accessed via the network connectivity devices 392 or via the I/Odevices 390 to the RAM 388 or to memory space within the CPU 382, andthe CPU 382 may then execute instructions that the application iscomprised of. During execution, an application may load instructionsinto the CPU 382, for example load some of the instructions of theapplication into a cache of the CPU 382. In some contexts, anapplication that is executed may be said to configure the CPU 382 to dosomething, (e.g., to configure the CPU 382 to perform the function orfunctions promoted by the subject application). When the CPU 382 isconfigured in this way by the application, the CPU 382 becomes aspecific purpose computer or a specific purpose machine.

The secondary storage 384 is typically comprised of one or more diskdrives or tape drives and is used for non-volatile storage of data andas an over-flow data storage device if RAM 388 is not large enough tohold all working data. Secondary storage 384 may be used to storeprograms which are loaded into RAM 388 when such programs are selectedfor execution. The ROM 386 is used to store instructions and perhapsdata which are read during program execution. ROM 386 is a non-volatilememory device which typically has a small memory capacity relative tothe larger memory capacity of secondary storage 384. The RAM 388 is usedto store volatile data and perhaps to store instructions. Access to bothROM 386 and RAM 388 is typically faster than to secondary storage 384.The secondary storage 384, the RAM 388, and/or the ROM 386 may bereferred to in some contexts as computer readable storage media and/ornon-transitory computer readable media.

I/O devices 390 may include printers, video monitors, liquid crystaldisplays (LCDs), touch screen displays, keyboards, keypads, switches,dials, mice, track balls, voice recognizers, card readers, paper tapereaders, or other well-known input devices.

The network connectivity devices 392 may take the form of modems, modembanks, Ethernet cards, universal serial bus (USB) interface cards,serial interfaces, token ring cards, fiber distributed data interface(FDDI) cards, wireless local area network (WLAN) cards, radiotransceiver cards, and/or other well-known network devices. The networkconnectivity devices 392 may provide wired communication links and/orwireless communication links (e.g., a first network connectivity device392 may provide a wired communication link and a second networkconnectivity device 392 may provide a wireless communication link).Wired communication links may be provided in accordance with Ethernet(IEEE 802.3), Internet protocol (IP), time division multiplex (TDM),data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS), wave divisionmultiplexing (WDM), and/or the like. In an embodiment, the radiotransceiver cards may provide wireless communication links usingprotocols such as code division multiple access (CDMA), global systemfor mobile communications (GSM), long-term evolution (LTE), WiFi (IEEE802.11), Bluetooth, Zigbee, narrowband Internet of things (NB IoT), nearfield communications (NFC), radio frequency identity (RFID). The radiotransceiver cards may promote radio communications using 5G, 5G NewRadio, or 5G LTE radio communication protocols. These networkconnectivity devices 392 may enable the processor 382 to communicatewith the Internet or one or more intranets. With such a networkconnection, it is contemplated that the processor 382 might receiveinformation from the network, or might output information to the networkin the course of performing the above-described method steps. Suchinformation, which is often represented as a sequence of instructions tobe executed using processor 382, may be received from and outputted tothe network, for example, in the form of a computer data signal embodiedin a carrier wave.

Such information, which may include data or instructions to be executedusing processor 382 for example, may be received from and outputted tothe network, in the form of a computer data baseband signal or signalembodied in a carrier wave. The baseband signal or signal embedded inthe carrier wave, or other types of signals currently used or hereafterdeveloped, may be generated according to several methods well-known toone skilled in the art. The baseband signal and/or signal embedded inthe carrier wave may be referred to in some contexts as a transitorysignal.

The processor 382 executes instructions, codes, computer programs,scripts which it accesses from hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk(these various disk based systems may all be considered secondarystorage 384), flash drive, ROM 386, RAM 388, or the network connectivitydevices 392. While only one processor 382 is shown, multiple processorsmay be present. Thus, while instructions may be discussed as executed bya processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, serially,or otherwise executed by one or multiple processors. Instructions,codes, computer programs, scripts, and/or data that may be accessed fromthe secondary storage 384, for example, hard drives, floppy disks,optical disks, and/or other device, the ROM 386, and/or the RAM 388 maybe referred to in some contexts as non-transitory instructions and/ornon-transitory information.

In an embodiment, the computer system 380 may comprise two or morecomputers in communication with each other that collaborate to perform atask. For example, but not by way of limitation, an application may bepartitioned in such a way as to permit concurrent and/or parallelprocessing of the instructions of the application. Alternatively, thedata processed by the application may be partitioned in such a way as topermit concurrent and/or parallel processing of different portions of adata set by the two or more computers. In an embodiment, virtualizationsoftware may be employed by the computer system 380 to provide thefunctionality of a number of servers that is not directly bound to thenumber of computers in the computer system 380. For example,virtualization software may provide twenty virtual servers on fourphysical computers. In an embodiment, the functionality disclosed abovemay be provided by executing the application and/or applications in acloud computing environment. Cloud computing may comprise providingcomputing services via a network connection using dynamically scalablecomputing resources. Cloud computing may be supported, at least in part,by virtualization software. A cloud computing environment may beestablished by an enterprise and/or may be hired on an as-needed basisfrom a third party provider. Some cloud computing environments maycomprise cloud computing resources owned and operated by the enterpriseas well as cloud computing resources hired and/or leased from a thirdparty provider.

In an embodiment, some or all of the functionality disclosed above maybe provided as a computer program product. The computer program productmay comprise one or more computer readable storage medium havingcomputer usable program code embodied therein to implement thefunctionality disclosed above. The computer program product may comprisedata structures, executable instructions, and other computer usableprogram code. The computer program product may be embodied in removablecomputer storage media and/or non-removable computer storage media. Theremovable computer readable storage medium may comprise, withoutlimitation, a paper tape, a magnetic tape, magnetic disk, an opticaldisk, a solid state memory chip, for example analog magnetic tape,compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) disks, floppy disks, jump drives,digital cards, multimedia cards, and others. The computer programproduct may be suitable for loading, by the computer system 380, atleast portions of the contents of the computer program product to thesecondary storage 384, to the ROM 386, to the RAM 388, and/or to othernon-volatile memory and volatile memory of the computer system 380. Theprocessor 382 may process the executable instructions and/or datastructures in part by directly accessing the computer program product,for example by reading from a CD-ROM disk inserted into a disk driveperipheral of the computer system 380. Alternatively, the processor 382may process the executable instructions and/or data structures byremotely accessing the computer program product, for example bydownloading the executable instructions and/or data structures from aremote server through the network connectivity devices 392. The computerprogram product may comprise instructions that promote the loadingand/or copying of data, data structures, files, and/or executableinstructions to the secondary storage 384, to the ROM 386, to the RAM388, and/or to other non-volatile memory and volatile memory of thecomputer system 380.

In some contexts, the secondary storage 384, the ROM 386, and the RAM388 may be referred to as a non-transitory computer readable medium or acomputer readable storage media. A dynamic RAM embodiment of the RAM388, likewise, may be referred to as a non-transitory computer readablemedium in that while the dynamic RAM receives electrical power and isoperated in accordance with its design, for example during a period oftime during which the computer system 380 is turned on and operational,the dynamic RAM stores information that is written to it. Similarly, theprocessor 382 may comprise an internal RAM, an internal ROM, a cachememory, and/or other internal non-transitory storage blocks, sections,or components that may be referred to in some contexts as non-transitorycomputer readable media or computer readable storage media.

While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure,it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may beembodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spiritor scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is notto be limited to the details given herein. For example, the variouselements or components may be combined or integrated in another systemor certain features may be omitted or not implemented.

Also, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described andillustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may becombined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, ormethods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Other items shown or discussed as directly coupled or communicating witheach other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through someinterface, device, or intermediate component, whether electrically,mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions,and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could bemade without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of adapting an environment by sharingenvironmental preferences with smart devices in the environment based onprivacy preferences, comprising: discovering a first plurality of smartdevices in a first environment by a client application executing on amobile communication device by initiating wireless communication betweenthe mobile communication device and the first plurality of smartdevices, wherein the client application learns an electronic modelidentity of each of the discovered first plurality of smart devices;determining by the client application a first security category of thefirst environment based on a first user configuration or a firstinference, wherein the first user configuration and the first inferenceare based on the first plurality of smart devices discovered in thefirst environment; communicating with a data store by the clientapplication and looking-up control interfaces of the discovered firstplurality of smart devices based on the electronic model identities ofthe first plurality of smart devices, wherein looking-up controlinterfaces of the discovered first plurality of smart devices comprisesobtaining information about application programming interfaces (APIs) ofthe first plurality of smart devices; looking-up a first plurality ofpredefined environmental preferences associated with the mobilecommunication device in the data store by the client application basedon the identities of the first plurality of smart devices and based onthe first security category; based on the information about the APIs ofthe first plurality of smart devices, transmitting control signals bythe client application to the first plurality of smart devices thatprogram the first plurality of smart devices with the first plurality ofpredefined environmental preferences; discovering a second plurality ofsmart devices in a second environment by the client application byinitiating wireless communication between the mobile communicationdevice and the second plurality of smart devices, wherein the clientapplication learns an electronic model identity of each of thediscovered second plurality of smart devices; determining by the clientapplication a second security category of the second environment basedon a second user configuration or a second inference, wherein the seconduser configuration and the second inference are based on the secondplurality of smart devices discovered in the second environment, andwherein the second security category is different from the firstsecurity category; communicating with the data store by the clientapplication and looking-up control interfaces of the discovered secondplurality of smart devices based on the electronic model identities ofthe second plurality of smart devices, wherein looking-up controlinterfaces of the discovered second plurality of smart devices comprisesobtaining information about APIs of the second plurality of smartdevices; looking-up a second plurality of predefined environmentalpreferences associated with the mobile communication device in the datastore by the client application based on the identifies of the secondplurality of smart devices and based on the second security category,wherein one or more predefined preferences in the first plurality ofpredefined environment preferences are not included in the secondplurality of predefined environmental preferences, and wherein the oneor more predefined preferences are prevented from being disclosed to thesecond plurality of smart devices because the second security categoryis less secure than the first security category; and based on theinformation about the APIs of the second plurality of smart devices,transmitting control signals by the client application to the secondplurality of smart devices that program the second plurality of smartdevices with the second plurality of predefined environmentalpreferences.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first securitycategory is a private category.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein thesecond security category is a public category.
 4. The method of claim 2,wherein the second security category is an exclusive category.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is one of amobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), awearable computer, a headset computer, a laptop computer, a notebookcomputer, or a tablet computer.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thefirst plurality of smart devices and the second plurality of smartdevices comprise one or more of a light switch, a thermostat, anelectronic assistant, a door lock, a television, or a gaming system. 7.The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication devicewirelessly communicates with the first plurality of smart devices andthe second plurality of smart devices via at least one of Bluetoothwireless communication or WiFi wireless communication.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: selecting a first plurality of applicationicons by the client application based on predefined preferencesassociated with the first environment; causing the mobile communicationdevice to present the selected first plurality of application icons on ahome screen of a display of the mobile communication device; selecting asecond plurality of application icons by the client application based onpredefined preferences associated with the second environment, whereinat least one of the second plurality of application icons is notincluded in the first plurality of application icons; and causing themobile communication device to present the selected second plurality ofapplication icons on the home screen of the display of the mobilecommunication device, wherein a user interface of the mobilecommunication device is adapted based on the change from the firstenvironment to the second environment.
 9. The method of claim 8, whereinthe mobile communication device is one of a mobile phone, a smart phone,a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wearable computer, a headsetcomputer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, or a tablet computer.10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of smart devicesand the second plurality of smart devices comprise one or more of alight switch, a thermostat, an electronic assistant, a door lock, atelevision, or a gaming system.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein themobile communication device communicates with at least one of the firstplurality of smart devices or the second plurality of smart devices viaWiFi wireless communication.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein themobile communication device communicates with at least one of the firstplurality of smart devices or the second plurality of smart devices viaBluetooth wireless communication.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein thefirst plurality of environment preferences comprise an initial roomtemperature preference.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving a message by the client application from at least one of thefirst plurality of smart devices requesting definition of an undefinedenvironmental preference; presenting a dialog box by the clientapplication on the mobile communication device, where the dialog boxprompts a user to input a preference for the undefined environmentalpreference; receiving an input defining the undefined environmentalpreference; transmitting the input defining the undefined environmentalpreference by the client application to the at least one of the firstplurality of smart devices; and transmitting the input defining theundefined environmental preference by the client application to the datastore, wherein the first plurality of predefined environmentalpreferences associated with the mobile communication device stored inthe data store are extended.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein themobile communication device is one of a mobile phone, a smart phone, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a wearable computer, a headsetcomputer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, or a tablet computer.16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of smart devicescomprise one or more of a light switch, a thermostat, an electronicassistant, a door lock, a television, or a gaming system.
 17. The methodof claim 14, wherein the mobile communication device communicates withat least one of the first plurality of smart devices via WiFi wirelesscommunication or Bluetooth wireless communication.
 18. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the first plurality of environment preferencescomprise an initial room temperature preference.
 19. The method of claim14, wherein the first plurality of environmental preferences comprise adefinition of a user specific input command for a smart device.
 20. Themethod of claim 1, wherein at least one predefined environmentalpreference of the second plurality of predefined environmentalpreferences associated with a smart device of the second plurality ofsmart devices is stored in the data store as a default value, andwherein the at least one environment preference is provided as aninitial default value to a different client application executing on adifferent mobile communication device associated with a different userwho is in the second environment that features the smart device or in ananother environment that features another smart device having a samemake and model as the smart device.